Avg. rating 5 from 3 votes.Recipe Information
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the packet of giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Rinse the chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the outside of the chicken with about 1 Tbs. of olive oil. Sprinkle the inside and outside of the bird with salt and pepper, chopped lemon zest and herbs.
Put the chicken, breast side up, on a rack and set the rack in a roasting pan just larger than the rack. Cut the zested lemon in half and squeeze both halves over the chicken. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 and continue roasting for about 45 minutes more for a total of about 1 hour for a 3-lb. chicken. For larger birds, add another 10 minutes for each additional pound. The chicken is done when the leg wiggles freely in its joint and when the juices run clear from the thigh when you prick it and from the cavity when you tilt the bird. A thermometer inserted into the lower meaty part of the thigh should register 165°F. Set the chicken on a warm platter and tent with foil to keep it warm for about 10 minutes before you cut into it.
Notes
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